Drugs on Campus: How to Deal With It

BY RYAN HATHAWAY // APRIL 12, 2016 //

The Curry freshman arraigned last November on gun and drug charges was back in court in early April, as his case moves through the legal system.

Darius Boodoosingh was arraigned in Quincy District Court on Nov. 19, 2015, and was released on $10,000 bail with the condition that he stay away from the College. His next scheduled court date is in June.

Boodoosingh pleaded not guilty to charges of carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds, possession of a class C drug (mushrooms) with intent to distribute, possession of a class D drug (marijuana) with intent to distribute, multiple counts of possession of a firearm (a .22 revolver) without a license, possession of class E drugs (acetaminophen with codeine and Vyvanse, a controlled substance used to treat ADHD and eating disorders that can cause irregular heart beat, panic, psychosis, delirium, and heart failure), with intent to distribute, and possession of class B drugs (cocaine and LSD) with intent to distribute.

It has not been confirmed whether Boodoosingh was selling drugs to students on campus — he was arrested at Curry with $140 cash in his sock — but a number of Curry students believe he likely was.

Senior Communication majors Matt Ferrara and Mark Maradei say drug use on campus is more pervasive amongst freshmen and sophomores. “I think [with the underclassmen] it’s more of a problem,” said Ferrara. “Those kids who do drugs weed themselves out.”

“By the time you become a junior or senior, all these kids are gone or barely hanging on,” said Maradei.

Spencer Post, a freshman Business Management major, said he knew Boodoosingh through mutual friends on the football team. Post said the problem is a complicated one because if students are looking to buy drugs, they’ll eventually find a seller.

“If one [dealer] goes away, I’m sure more will pop up in its place because that’s what people do. They find what they can’t get,” he said.

Micaela Lovering, a junior nursing major, believes the college needs to do more to root out those who sell and do drugs at Curry. “It’s illegal, and it should be stopped on campus,” she said. “We don’t want that around here.”

There were at least two student incidents involving heroin last semester. Both were investigated and adjudicated quietly through the college’s student conduct process.